Nokia can't license brand 'Nokia' post Microsoft deal

After signing a pact to sell its handset business to Microsoft, Finnish phone giant Nokia can neither license the 'Nokia' brand for use in connection with mobile device sales nor use the brand on its own mobile devices for a specific period.

Washington: After signing a pact to sell its handset business to Microsoft, Finnish phone giant Nokia can neither license the 'Nokia' brand for use in connection with mobile device sales nor use the brand on its own mobile devices for a specific period.

"Microsoft has also agreed to a 10-year license arrangement with Nokia to use the Nokia brand on current and subsequently developed Mobile Phones based on the Series 30 and Series 40 operating systems," Nokia said in a recent US filing.

Nokia, which will be left with only its telecom equipment, location and patent development business, would have right to continue and maintain Nokia brand except for certain period as per the agreement.

After the closing of deal "Nokia would be restricted from licensing the Nokia brand for use in connection with mobile device sales for 30 months and from using the Nokia brand on Nokia's own mobile devices until December 31, 2015," it said.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, subject to approval by Nokia shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

As per telecom magazine Voice&Data, Nokia mobile phones has 27.2 percent market share India at the end of Financial Year 2012-13.

Nokia will seek its shareholders approval on November 19 this year to USD 7.2 billion deal to sell devices and services business to US software giant Microsoft. If shareholders of Nokia disapprove the deal, then Nokia will have to pay about USD 51 million as damages to Microsoft.

In case of any alternate proposal is place before Nokia's shareholder which gets approved, then the Finnish company will have pay less amount as damage to Microsoft.